a bleeding purple utah jazz blog

Why is it only July?!

Last year, the Olympics helped me/fans get through the offseason. This summer, there’s…Eurobasket (9/7 – 9/20). For now, let’s ignore the possibility that one might not even be able to watch the games even if one were so inclined.

mother just hit me with cooking pan. we hud the yelling. said I will merry Amurikan girl, not ukraine. did not know teweting so expaneishve

KOC was quoted in today’s desnews expressing displeasure over Fes’ decision to go home for the summer and play for the Ukrainian national team (what Fes said previously)/work out with his personal trainer (what KOC said; could his trainer be his mom?) and skip Orlando.

I previously said that I don’t have any problem with Fes wanting to play for his national team, especially after he told the sob story about how all the good folk back home see his absence on the national team in past summers as him not caring about his country, etc. However, a little research reveals that Ukraine didn’t even qualify for Eurobasket. Instead, Ukraine is only playing in the “Relegation Round” against three other teams to see which two get dropped from Division A to Division B. Er…

CJ sltrib’s Jazz blog also reported that Jerry suggested to CJ that he play in the summer league during his exit interview. CJ apparently feigned interest, and has not been heard from since.

FB Boozer has also been MIA since the Jazz announced that his word is worthless he had opted in. So Ross Siler is currently in Orlando covering the Jazz summer league team. He contacted FB’s reps and volunteered to drive from Orlando to Miami (no short drive) so that he could speak to FB, and got a flat-out “NO” in response (mp3). I could have told Siler that Boozer would say no. Siler is such small beans. FB only talks to the national media…guys like ESPN’s Chris Sheridan. FB makes me want to choke a bitch.

AK Siler also claimed in the same interview linked above that AK “is being shopped everywhere,” but in his daily “from Orlando” interview two days later, backtracked, saying that the Jazz have not initiated any trade conversations about AK. Meanwhile, AK apparently found out about the T-Mac trade rumor from the Russian sports media. I’m sure that went over well.

AK-47: Food for the pigs. (According to the blog, DWill and KK and families were supposed to go on that Bahamian trip, but they backed out due to thunderstorm forecasts. What do I take from this? Further confirmation of who gets along with who in the locker room.)

THE KOOF KK2 has packed on 15-20 pounds this summer (and it’s only July). No mention of whether it’s muscle or not muscle. His neck looks thicker, at any rate.

SAP As for Sap, the Blazers are reportedly poised to take Sap away from the Jazz with a “toxic,” front-loaded, signing bonus-included offer. Like I’ve said previously, much as I like Sap, I don’t think the Jazz should overpay to keep him (and by overpay I mean over 8mill, though I personally don’t think he should be getting more than 6-7). According to The Oregonian, “Sources say Millsap has told the Blazers he would be amicable to playing behind LaMarcus Aldridge.”

I have many questions about this. The locker room problems that started as soon as Boozer returned from injury-wait-consult-wait-consult-wait-consult-surgery were supposedly caused by a combination of Boozer the person and Sap being unhappy with his decreased minutes. His decreased production over the rest of the season can be attributed to either his unhappiness or his being just plain worn down. I’ve never thought of Sap as a guy with an unrealistic perception of the world (his agentuncle is another story), and if he indeed does not have unrealistic expectations, I don’t see why he, knowing that he plays behind Boozer when Boozer is available, would expect his [starter] minutes to be unaffected by Boozer’s return. However, if his decreased production is the result of petulance over his minutes, then what’s up with his willingness to be a bench guy in POR? Is it because POR is showing him the money?

LBJ In the wake of the “the King is too high and mighty to shake your hand” incident, LBJ continues to cement his status as a spoiled little princess douchebag. By the way, did you know that he was named “LeBron” because his mother “mistakenly believed that it meant ‘The Strength’ in French”? At least, that’s what it said on his Wikipedia page last week. That part has since been removed by him, his mother, his handlers, Nike, or whoever.

… Finally, if you stop and think about it, what kind of messed up world is this where a $5 million/year wage offer can be construed as a slap in the face? If what they’re getting paid can be seen as representative of their social value, NBA players should be curing diseases, bringing about world peace, ending starvation, making it rain in the desert, keeping Antarctica frozen, outlawing online sellers gouging buyers on shipping charges for international orders, etc.